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A bond forged in loyalty and friendship will stand the test of time. Israel Adesanya and his long-time manager Ash Belcastro exemplify this truth.
The former UFC middleweight champion went through a dire financial situation following his maiden loss against Alex Pereira at Glory of Heros 1, but lucky for him, Belcastro was there to help him out.
After attaining UFC superstardom, the Nigerian-born Kiwi made sure to return the kindness.
During the 163rd MMA Show of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Adesanya proudly showed off the necklace he was wearing, while elaborating on the friendship he shares with his manager:
"Engage, this is my fight wear brand. Ash Belcastro started this... I'll say this, he was one of the only guys who would f**k with me before I blew up. So when I was fighting in China and I lost to Alex [Pereira] they stopped giving me fights... The money was running out, the money I had saved up. And then I was down to my last one day like $500."
Adesanya added:
"And Eugene [Bareman] was holding the pads for me, he could see something was up. And I just said, 'Bro I'm about to be broke'... I get home, I think I was on the toilet and he said, 'Check your bank account.' And I'm sitting there just like ah, I started crying and I call him and he is like, 'Don't thank me, thank Ash,' who started 'Engage'... So for me, he's always been a guy that's been in my corner... So I like to represent [said Adesanya showing off the chain]."
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (0:18):
Furthermore, Adesanya and former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski are now part owners of 'Engage.'
When Israel Adesanya opened up about considering robbery
While Israel Adesanya is currently one of the highest-paid fighters on the UFC roster, the top-flight middleweight wasn't born with a silver spoon. He struggled financially early in his career to such an extent there was a moment when he almost considered robbery.
During an appearance on The Diary Of A CEO podcast in 2022, 'The Last Stylebender' revealed his shocking past, admitting that he once almost contemplated robbing a corner store:
"I remember, this was when I was really broke and remember just looking at this corner store and I was just like. 'I wish I could go in there and be like, look just give me the money you have. I don't want to hurt you.' It was a fleeting thought, and I was like... this is why some of them do it... obviously I'm not going to do it because I'm not an idiot."
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below:
